The present invention concerns analysis of network traffic over network segments and pertains particularly to the display of network traffic attributes based on frequency distribution.
Communication between computers and other computing equipment is achieved through various types of networks. For computers and computer equipment within fairly close proximity, local area networks are often connected using a local area network (LAN). For computers and computer equipment separated by a greater distance, wide area networks (WAN) may be used to make the connections.
Often LANs and/or WANs are connected together in order for one computer on a LAN or a WAN to communicate with another computer in a different LAN or WAN. LANs and WANs may be joined, for example, using a network bridge or a network router. Each of the individual LAN and WAN may be considered a network segment of a larger network.
It is often desirable to monitor the operation and status of various network segments. For example, network traffic may be monitored and the results forwarded to an application or management platform for further processing and/or for being made available to a user.
Network traffic may be monitored, for example, by collecting a number of bytes passed through a representative network device for one or more monitored network segments. The utilization of each segment is the percentage of the capacity used. For example, for a particular time period, the utilization is equal to the number of bytes transferred across a network segment during the time period divided by the theoretical maximum number of bytes that could have been transferred across the network segment during the time period. The utilization is generally organized in order of time. The utilization data is displayed by percent utilization versus time in a line graph for either single or multiple segments at a time. This is essentially a chronological view of sequential data points. Alternatively, the utilization data may be displayed by percent utilization at a particular point of time. Additionally, the utilization data may be displayed by showing bytes per second or frames per second. See for example, the Foundation Manager.TM. network monitoring application and the Network General.RTM. Reporter application described in the brochure, Network General Corporation Products and Services, May 1995, available from Network General Corporation as Part Number 24200-005, pages 7 and 8.
One disadvantage of displaying percent utilization over time in a line graph is that it is difficult to determine how often the network is over-utilized or under utilized. This information is available to a user only by mental calculation and imagination.